A recent Vice.com article points out that cleaner technology is essential if we are to have any long term future, but it’s only one piece of a transition with potential to restructure our planet-ravaging economic system.

The article asks people to think about what the world might look like if we’d all stopped arguing about climate change…

Probably your mental landscape includes more solar panels and wind turbines, highways full of electric cars, energy-efficient buildings, the replacing of dirty fuels with less damaging alternatives. If that’s the case, you could be ignoring a huge part of the solution. Cleaner technology is essential if we are to have any kind of long-term future. But it’s only one piece of a transition with potential to restructure our planet-ravaging economic system and the toxic politics the system has created. Unbeknownst to most people, even those who follow climate change closely, this transition is already underway.

Energy from solar is number 8 in that same list – have a look at the other six things that can have more impact…

To those that support the massive solar power station proposal on the basis that it’s vital to solve climate change, we say that it’s just not that simple. This nature-destroying proposal (and the many more that could follow if this gets the go-ahead) will not solve climate change.

The UK Government’s official advisory group – the Committee on Climate Change – said this year that the excellent progress in reducing carbon emissions from generating electricity is masking failure in other sectors.

The UK energy industry is already doing its part, and it doesn’t need to destroy nature in the pursuit of the final 25%.

It’s important to understand that action on climate change needs much more than just the high profile approaches of renewable energy and electric cars.

Public – have your say

Even if you think the proposal should not be allowed, you should explain your concerns to the developer so that, if it does go ahead, the impact on the community and the environment is managed in the best way possible.